mount baker experience fall 2011

2 Mount Baker Experience • Fall 2011

W W W. N O O K S A C K C A S I N O S .C O M5048 MOUNT BAKER HWY • DEMING WA • 877.935.9300

JUST 15 MINUTES EAST OF BELLINGHAMSETUNIM51TSUJ AHGNILLEBFOTSAES MA

Mount Baker Experience • Fall 2011 3

Welcome to the Mount Baker Experience, the quarterly recreation guide for and about the Mt.Baker area,pub-lished by Point Roberts Press, Inc. Locally owned and operated, the company also publishes The Northern Light,AllPoint Bulletin,Pacific CoastWeddings andWaterside in Blaine,Washington.Point Roberts Press is a member of theWashington Newspaper Publishers Association, chambers of commerce inWhatcom County and the Bellingham/Mt.Baker Convention andVisitors Bureau.

The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and are offered for the general interest of readers.We wel-come your letters; however, the opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the editor.For circulation and rateinformation, or to send your letters, please address to:Mount Baker Experience,225 Marine Drive,Blaine,WA 98230,fax them to 360/332-2777 or email [email protected].

Address: 225 Marine Drive,Blaine,WA 98230Tel: 360/332-1777, Fax: 360/332-2777Email: [email protected] edition: November Ads due:October 19Publisher Patrick GrubbCo-Publisher/Advertising ManagerLouise MugarManaging Director Kathy McGeeAd & Cover Design Charlie Hagan,Ruth LawlessStaffWriters Jeremy Schwartz, CarissaWrightContributors Gene Davis,Tim Chandonnet, SamLozier,BradWalton,Kitty Bond,Alexandra Grubb,Andrew Grubb,Sue Madsen,Brian McCall,April Miles,Kari Nuemeyer,Meghan Hill, Grady McCombs,JackWaytzAdvertising Sales Molly Ernst, Janet McCall,April MilesOffice Manager CarissaWright

XMOUNT BAKER

e periencePrinted in Canada Vol XXV No. 4

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Calendarofevents forall thingsMt.Baker:www.mountbakerexperience.comwww.mountbakerexperience.com:Read the current andpast issues.www.mtbakerchamber.org,www.glacierchamber.org:Discover thearea’s businesses.www.weather.com:Get all theweather youneed.www.wsdot.wa.gov/regions/northwest/traffic/bordercams: Infoonborder delays.

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contents4 A Splendid View

Scrambling to the top of the North Twin range.

6 It’s Beer TimeThat is, it’s time to try some new local offerings.

8 Alone, at the topA solo hike up Church Mountain offers manyrewards for the intrepid.

10 Gliding through grandeurTry Baker Lake for a spectacular weekend.

12 Running with the salmonWitness the marvel of nature as the salmonjourney back to their natal streams.

14 Look out for bearsWhitewater rafting on the Nooksack is quite theadventure.

20 Graham’s Restaurant ReduxIt takes a village to open a restaurant.

20 Outdoor book round-up

25 Got game?The thrill of hunting in the Pacific Northwest.

27 Regional map

it all HAPPENS ...

Cover photo:Tim Chandonnet

www.facebook.com/MtBakerExperience

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Long isolated fromsimilar rock, the reddish-brownTwin Sisters range stands in starkcontrast to the deep greens of thefoothills and the hulkingwhite andgrey mass of Mt. Baker.Westerners first startedmaking

theirmark on theTwin Sisters rangein the late 1800s when a group ofclimbers wound their way up SouthTwin throughwhat was then track-less forest. Not long after, themin-ing and logging industries beganmaking their way up the westernflanks of the mountain, carving amaze-like network of roads andquilting the landscape with clear-cuts and quarries.My own fascination with the

mountain started last summerwhenI moved to Whatcom County. Ona whim, I set out one morning toclimb the triangular-shapedNorthTwin via its ruggedwest ridge. Aftereight hours of wandering aroundlogging roads, bushwhacking andgetting scratched, dehydrated andhungry, I gave upwithout even get-ting to the base of the route. I regret-ted my lack of planning and wasdisappointed by the whole experi-ence, but themountain was no lessappealing.On every clear day that I pass

throughNugents Corner onmydri-

same elevation as the start of theridge. After a few hundred feet ofdownclimbing from the summit,we reached a spot on the slope thatwe deemed safe enough for non-suicidal glissading.Mason went first, sliding quick-

ly toward the valley and into a cloud.Once I was confident the speck thatnow stood at the bottomof the slopewas still in good spirits, I took adeep breath, sat down in the snow,pushed myself forward and accel-erated.By the time I reached the bottom

I was soaked and sore, but it waseasily themost fun I’ve ever had onsnow without my skis. We headedback toward the car with smiles onour faces, content with anothergreat day in the mountains.X

Sam Lozier followed a dream andmoved to Washington state a year ago.Since his move, he’s tried to motivateothers to get out and experience the Pacif-ic Northwest by sharing his experiencesthrough his writing and photography.

Aswe arrived at the trailhead, theparking lot at the gated bridge overthe Nooksack’s Middle Fork, wewere surprised to find the normal-ly locked gate standing open.Climbers are usually forced to hikeor bike up miles of steep loggingroad to access the true start of thehike, a dirt pull-off above DailyPrairie. Accepting the fact that wemight get locked in, we drovethrough the gate and up the nor-mally off-limits portion of the road,thus saving ourselves at least anhour of hiking.From our parking spot above

Daily Prairie, at the actual trailhead,we plodded slowly up an overgrownlogging road toward the shoulderof the West Ridge of North Twin.Soon after, the road endedand we found ourselves climbingmuchmore steeply along awell usedclimbers’ trail toward the rockyshoulder that marked the start ofthe scramble.High clouds were obscuring the

view, and Iworriedwhether this sum-mer’s gloomy weather would com-promise yet another day in themountains. Mason was quite con-fident the weather would hold offthough, and I was unwilling to leta few clouds get in theway of a goodtime, so we pressed on.

As the trail steepened and turnedinto a scramble, we finally laid handon stone.Mason had scrambled theroute before, so he knew what toexpect, but I was stunned by the tex-ture of the rock. When touched,even flat surfaces felt sharp andgritty – like sandstone, but withoutthe crumbly feeling. I ended upclimbing in gloves tomake suremyhands didn’t get torn up.The climb passed as a pleasant

blur with Mason and I trading offtaking the lead up the ridge. Thescramblingwas just difficult enoughto be interesting, but without thescare factor of full-on rock climb-ing. Every timeweworried that we’dclimbed ourselves into a jam, someobvious alternative route wouldappear and allow us through. Hav-ing focusedmainly onmicro-scaleroute-finding problems, and talk-ing almost nonstop, we were sur-prised at the speed with which wereached the false summit. All thatwas left was a quick walk acrosssnow toward the true summit.We lounged on the summit’s only

flat spot for nearly an hour, watch-ingmarshmallow clouds float acrossthe valleys before collidingwith thefoothills. To descend, we chose thenorth face, a steep snow-coveredslope that would get us back to the

ve fromwork in Bellingham tomyhome in the foothills, the Twin Sis-ters range dominates the horizon.After a long day ofwork, it’s refresh-ing to stare upatNorthTwin, bathedin fading light, and think of theclear air and long views the sum-mits must offer a climber.Fred Beckey, in his classic book,

“Cascade Alpine Guide” (Moun-taineers Books), describes theWestRidge of North Twin as “a splen-did climb, hard to equal in its dif-ficulty rating.” With Beckey’sendorsement, the recommendationofmany friends, andmy own obses-sion with the mountains growingon every commute, I resolved tocomplete the climb as soon as pos-sible. That was in early June.By early August, half a summer’s

worth of disappointing weather,schedule conflicts and generallypoor planning had conspired tokeepme off the mountain. Finallythough, it all came together. I sentmy climbing partner Mason a textmessage, he liked the plan, and twodays later wemet along SR 542 nearMosquito Lake Road. As we droveupMiddle Fork Road, we encoun-tered few of the normally commonlog and rock trucks that comehurtling down the road withoutwarning.

A SPLENDID VIEWScrambling to the top of the North Twin Mountain RangeSTORY & PHOTOS BY SAM LOZIER

EONS AGO, A HUGE MASS OF DUNITE, A RARE, HEAT-RESISTANT ROCK THAT FORMS IN THE MANTLE OF THE EARTH,

BROKE FREE. THIS MASSIVE, SUPER-HARD ROCK ROSE THROUGH THE CRUST ALONG A FAULT LINE AND EVENTUALLY

SETTLED TO THE WEST OF MT. BAKER, FORMING THE TWIN SISTERS RANGE.


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• A comprehensive route description can be found inFred Beckey’s “Cascade Alpine Guide, Volume 3: RainyPass to Fraser River” (The Mountaineers Books).

• The best maps of the area are the USGS Quads,“Cavanaugh Creek” and “Twin Sisters Mountain.”

• Summitpost.org has a great map of the confusingapproach:http://images.summitpost.org/original/700647.JPG.(Please note: Driving up the approach road past the gate, as wedid, is a risky move. The gate can be closed and locked withoutwarning, and if you get stuck behind it, you won’t even have cellservice to call for an embarrassing rescue.)

• To learn more about the geology of the Twin Sistersrange, “AWalk Through Geologic Time fromMt. Bakerto Bellingham Bay” by Don Easterbrook, a WWU pro-fessor, offers some great insight.

MORE INFOs Slip, sliding away ...

s All for the view ... Above right, the northernmost of the Twin Sisters.

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It was the sunniest Sun-day of the summer so far.On the saltchuck, boaters planed

across the sparkling waters; in theNorth Cascades, hikers trudged upmountains; cyclists cruised coun-try roads; from Vancouver toOlympia, the multitudes were outand strenously enjoying the sum-mer day.Me?Well, along with 1,400 oth-

er beer lovers, I shunned such ardu-ous pursuits in favor of an after-noon spent sampling diverse brewssuch as Stone’s Russian imperialstout and Fox Barrel’s pear cider atdowntown Bellingham’s Brewersby the Bay, an annual event spon-sored by the city’s Rotary Club toraise money for its local and inter-national service projects.Eight hundred people poured

through the gates in the first houralone, ready to sample a handful(ormore) of the nearly 70 differentbeers offeredbymore than30 region-al breweries present in DepotMar-ket Square.We like our beer around here.

Between Arlington andAbbotsfordand fromAnacortes to Twisp,morethan a dozen craft breweries pourtheir hearts into their ales, lagersand barley wines. Four made thetrek to Brewers by the Bay:Winthrop’sOld Schoolhouse Brew-ing, Mount Vernon’s Skagit River

Brewery and Bellingham’s Chuck-anut Brewery and Boundary BayBrewery and Bistro.Beer has obviously gained a

foothold in Northwest Washing-ton, and I set out that weekend totry as many as I could.

BREWERS BY THE BAY,BELLINGHAM

Lyra Morrison is a beer veteran.In 2010, the Mount Vernon res-

ident started what she calls the “30Day Beer Challenge.” She and herhusband took advantage of thetown’s unique situation – four pubsfeaturing craft beers within walk-ing distance of each other – and setout to drink a different beer at oneof the pubs every night in themonthofMarch. She did it again in 2011.So it was no surprise to run into

her at Brewers by the Bay.There’s no shortage of new beers

to try, so Morrison plans to con-tinue the beer challenge in 2012.She hopes others will join her, orstart their own events to highlightcraft breweries and the local tap-houses that carry their product.Judging by the crowd downtown,

the necessary love of good beer isalready there.Admission to the event got you

five tasting tickets, with addition-al tickets available for $1. After sam-pling the Skagit River Gospel IPA

(a balanced, slightly dark hophead’sdelight) and a Veltins German pil-sener (one of the freshest-tastingbeers I’ve ever enjoyed), I had adilem-ma onmy hands. Side-by-side wereFishBrewingCo. andHarmonBrew-ing Co., both pouring an imperialred ale, a variety I’d never tastedbefore. Would I burn through twoofmy tickets to compare the intrigu-ing but undoubtedly similar beers?I asked the brewer from Fish

about the difference between thebeers. Theirs was more hoppy andfull-bodied, he said, while the Har-mon pour was lighter and morewatery. He filledmy glass and toldme to keep my ticket – he wantedto knowwhat I thought of the com-petition after I tasted both.Which beerwas better didn’tmat-

ter (though for the record Fishknocked it out of the park). It wasall about encouraging thoughtfultasting, a theme running through-out the event.If you missed this year’s event,

you can keep up with next year’splans at the Rotary website,www.bellinghamrotary.org.At a beer festival like Brewers by

the Bay, the brewers come to you,and you can taste one or two beersfrom any number of different brew-eries. To sample a brewery’s fulllineup, however, you’ll need to goto them.

BIRDSVIEW BREWERY,CONCRETE

After a quick hike along the eastbank of Baker Lake, a stop for arefreshing beer was absolutely inorder. Tiny, circular BirdsviewBrew-ery, located just amile or two downHighway 20 from the lake turnoff,fit the bill. An impressive collectionof growlers lining the rafters twodeep pays testament to this fami-ly’s love for beer.The brewerywas founded in 2006

and currently offers 11 beers, rang-ing from the light Pail Ale (the nameis no error, the tasting sheet insists,but rather a holdover from whenthe beer was carried from place toplace in pails), to the dark, richporter.A departure frommany North-

west breweries, hops are noticeablyabsent fromBirdsview’s beers. Eventhe India Pale Ale, generally the hop-piest of beers, is smooth and mel-low.“Our brewer thinks hops are over-

rated,” an aside on the tasting sheetreads, “and that you should be ableto taste the beer.”The hops deficit aside, the array

of beers at Birdsview is impressive.The majority of its offerings arelight, with only the amber, the brownand the porter venturing into dark-er territory. This doesn’t mean theylack for flavor, however.The blonde ale is brewed with a

hint of lime for a crisp, refreshingtaste, while the barley-wheat beeris made with lemon and honey.Birdsview’s hefeweizen is one of thebest I’ve tasted, unique in its slight-ly thick flavor. The standouts, how-ever, are the amber, brewed withreal maple syrup, and the brownale, brewedwith sweetmolasses andVienna malts.

NORTH SOUND BREWING,MOUNT VERNON

The first North Sound Brewingkegs were sold to local pubs justone year ago. Today you can findtheir ales in some60bars and restau-rants from Bellingham to Seattle.I’ve come across a number of

North Sound’s beers inMount Ver-non and Bellingham, but I’d nevertrekked to the brewery on Memo-rial Highway, whichmeant I’d nev-er tasted some of their harder-to-find ales.One such seasonal is the Rye of

Passage anniversary ale. It’s dry-hopped and described as IPA-style,but the addition of rye malt bal-ances and complements the hopflavor. It’s an overall thoroughlyenjoyable summer ale. Another treatwas the Scotch ale on nitro. A beerpoured on nitro is smoother andoften richer-tasting than its car-bonated cousins. TheNorth SoundScotch is malty and slightly sweet,and the nitro adds a creamy dimen-sion.Next up for North Sound are a

reddish pale ale, which they start-ed pouring in August, and a bour-bon-barrel aged imperial porter,which will be tapped sometime inSeptember or October. I’m lookingforward to that one.Unlike the other breweries I vis-

ited, North Sound doesn’t have itsown kitchen. However, ordering apizza for delivery or stepping outfor a heaping plate of pulled porkor barbecued ribs from the Hicko-ry Avenue barbecue truck some-times parked in the lot is not onlywelcomed but encouraged. In fact,I would urge you to go when theHickory Avenue gentlemen are out-side – theymake the best barbecuesauce I’ve ever tasted.

BEER 101 (an online course)To brush up on your beer chops, visit www.craftbeer.com or www.beeradvocate.com for primerson styles, breweries, brewing techniques, food pairings and more. For more on Washingtonbreweries and to plan your own beer adventure, visit www.washingtonbrewersguild.org. ForB.C. brewpubs and microbreweries, visit www.bcbeer.ca.

IT’S BEER TIME! STORY & PHOTO BY CARISSA WRIGHT


THE NORTH FORK BREWERY& BEER SHRINE, DEMINGIf Birdsview Brewery has the

growlers, The North Fork has every-thing else. More than 90 years worthof beer collectibles, including oldcans, bottles, posters, trays, signsand yes, growlers, are displayed onnearly every surface.

The brewing operation is smalland produces just 109 gallons abatch. As a result, the beer menuchanges frequently. When I stoppedin, they had just run out of the drystout, unfortunately one my favoriteof North Fork’s offerings. Howev-er, with an IPA, ESB, Bavarianhefeweizen, Son of Frog, porter andbarleywine still pouring strong, Iwas well covered.

The North Fork brews a numberof English-style ales, which run thegamut from well-hopped IPAs toheavily malted Scotch ales with lit-tle to no hops present. Though theIPA is billed as “a favorite amonghop heads,” it’s closer to theBirdsview Brewery IPA than whatI’d consider a true Northwest-style

IPA with minimal citrusy, bitterhops flavor.

For my money, North Fork’s Sonof Frog was the standout of the cur-rent beers on tap. It’s a dark amberin color with plenty of roasted,chocolate and caramel malts for afull-bodied taste.

Whatever your beer preference,one of the many Northwest craftbrewers makes it. And if it’s notavailable now, wait a few months –there’s probably a brewer with anidea up his sleeve just waiting forthe right time to start brewing.

And if you really can’t find whatyou’re looking for ... there’s alwayshomebrewing. XWhen CarissaWright isn’t drinking

delicious, handcrafted beer or hikingNorthwest Washington’s easier trailswith her corgi, she can generally be foundreading (the corgi can generally be foundsnoring). She has not tried homebrew-ing herself, but it’s on the list. Look formore tales fromNorthwest taprooms infuture editions.

Anacortes Brewery320 Commercial AvenueAnacortes360/588-1720anacortesrockfish.com

Big Ridge Brewing Co.15250 Hwy 10 #103Surrey, BC604/575-2371markjamesgroup.com/bigridge

Birdsview Brewing Co.38302 SR 20Concrete360/826-3406birdsviewbrewingco.com

Boundary Bay Brewery1107 Railroad AvenueBellingham360/647-5593bbaybrewery.com

Chuckanut Brewery601 W. Holly StreetBellingham360/752-3377chuckanutbreweryandkitchen.com

Dead Frog Brewery27272 Gloucester WayAldergrove, BC604/856-1055deadfrogbrewery.com

La Conner Brewing Co.117 S. First StreetLa Conner360/466-1415laconnerbrew.com

Methow Valley Brewing Co.201 N. Methow Valley HighwayTwisp509/997-6822methowbrewing.com

North Fork Brewery6186 Mt. Baker HighwayDeming360/599-2337northforkbrewery.com

North Sound Brewing Co.17406 SR 536, Unit AMount Vernon360/982-2057northsoundbrewing.com

Old Schoolhouse Brewery155 Riverside AvenueWinthrop509/996-3183oldschoolhousebrewery.com

Skagit River Brewery404 S. 3rd StreetMount Vernon360/336-2884skagitbrew.com

Skookum Brewery19529 17th DriveArlington360/652-4917skookumbrewing.com

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onto the south side of the ridge. Once over, I realized thatthe south offered none of the security of snow on the northside, only loose, unsteady rock with the potential for a longfall. Somewhat unsure ofmy exact position, I continued for-ward over ambiguous terrain, hoping I’d be able to findmyway back in the fog.As I recrested the ridge I found that it had become far nar-

rower. Instead of a wide platform, the ridge had turned intoa narrow sidewalk.How much taller can this mountain be? I head-ed west along the three-foot-wide rock platform, unsure ofhow much longer I’d be scrambling. Moments later I wasstanding over a metal USGS survey marker. That was fast.I ate lunch, content with having reached the top, but dis-

appointed at havingmissed out on the view. The clouds had


s Reaching the top.

ALONE, AT THE TOPA solo hike up Church Mountain offers many rewards to the intrepidSTORY AND PHOTOS BY SAM LOZIER

AS THE NORTH FORK OF THE NOOKSACK WINDS ITS WAY OUT OF THE MOUNTAINS AND REACHES THE TOWN OF GLACIER,

IT PASSES JUST TO THE SOUTH OF CHURCH MOUNTAIN, THE LAST PROMINENT PEAK AT THE MOUTH OF THE VALLEY.

THE MOUNTAIN TOWERS ABOVE THE TOWN OF GLACIER AND, ON A CLEAR DAY, IF YOU’RE ON YOUR WAY UP THE

HIGHWAY TO POINTS BEYOND THE CHAIR 9 RESTAURANT, YOU’LL FIND IT FILLING YOUR WINDSHIELD.

I’ve had several trips cut short by badweather during the unusually cold andwet summer, so I wassomewhat apprehensive when I set out toward Church alone.It’s a popular hike, but with the exception of the construc-tion crew working on the road bridge over Glacier Creekroad, I didn’t see a soul the entire way to the parking lot atthe ChurchMountain trailhead. As I lacedmy boots, I won-dered if the clouds that were obscuring the summit wouldclear as they were forecasted to, or if they would stick aroundas seems to be the new norm.When hiking alone, I often experience periods of intense

sensory awareness contrasted by long stretches filled withvividly isolating daydreams. My mind wandered to pastadventures in the Olympics where I’d first used my boots.Several minutes later, I snapped back to reality and foundmyself traveling up the steep switchbacks of the trail. Tomyleft, two thousand feet below me, the turquoise Nooksackwound its way through the valley. Above, the clouds seemeddarker and the woods began to get misty.Attempts to avoid stepping on banana slugs, loud bird-

song and the questionable weather occupied my mentalspace for a while, but before long my mind was wanderingagain.Were the first to top this mountain really the members of aprospecting party from Blaine in 1891, as Fred Beckey suggests, orwas it more likely that in the thousands of years of human historypredating western settlement someone else had stood atop Sowak,as the mountain was known then? What did the members of theBlaine prospecting party experience when they were up here? Theycertainly weren’t marching up a well-graded hiking trail. Was theweather nice? How many days did it take them to get here fromBlaine? How impressive even the foothills must have looked beforethey were pocked with geometric farms and clear cuts.As I reached what are normally alpine meadows by mid-

summer, I was greeted instead by deep snow and thick fog.Is this really such a good idea? Since Canyon Creek road had

washed out and all the other hikes along this ridge wereequally covered in snow and cloud, and it was aWednesday,I thought, “Am I the only one in America north of the Nook-sack right now?” It’s quite unusual to get such a sense of iso-lation so quickly in the mountains.When not covered in snow, the trail typically switches back

and forth across the heather as it climbs steadily toward thecraggy ridge that dominates the north edge of themeadows.Imade slow progress as I kickedmy own steps into the snow.What would the two men who first came up here in the winter thinkof my pace? The year was 1930. Were they trying to escape from thestress of financial uncertainty and an unknown future in the sameway that so many are currently driven to seek adventure? What typeof person went on adventures like this during the Depression?The snow steepened as I approached the ridge near the

burned, tangled remains of an abandoned fire lookout. Mydecision to bring an ice axe seemed surprisingly prudent.The ridge offered the first welcoming resting spot of the day,a broad ledge that should have offered spectacular views,but encapsulated by cloud, offered only a vague feeling ofexposure. The windmuffled the surreal whistling of themar-mots moving among the rocks below me. This is “clearingclouds?” Will I get to see anything at all today?Overcome with amix of frustration and disappointment,

I decided to continue along the ridge until I reached the topor couldn’t continue any farther. Maybe the weather willimprove. It is Church Mountain after all ... “Keep the faith” mightnot be a bad strategy here.From the remains of the fire lookout, the route to the

summit wasn’t obvious. Clouds limitedmy view to about 30feet in any direction. The easiest way to make progress wasto drop to the north side of the ridge toward the kidney lakesbefore traversing to the steeper snowy slopes. Once on thesnowfield, I soon reached a seemingly impassible cliff. Theonly way forward seemed to involve crossing over a saddle


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added to the remote feeling andsense of privacy, but everyone likesa good view from the top of a pre-cipitousmountain peak.Quite sud-denly, and right as I was packingup to leave, the skies opened to thewest. It was only a hole through theclouds, but it afforded a glimpsethousands of feet into the valley.As the hole shifted, the ridge I’djust scrambled was suddenlyvisible.It wasmuch less impressive than

it had felt, but such is the nature ofsolo outings. After a few photos, Iturned and headed back across theridge. It’s amazing how many dif-ferent faces amountain can put on.Had theweather been nice, the sum-mit would likely have been crowd-ed andnoisy. Instead, I had the priv-ilege of spending the day alonewithmy thoughts. For the first time ina long while, I remembered thatoutdoor adventures don’t have tobe extreme to be meaningful.X

Sam Lozier followed a dream andmoved to Washington state a year ago.Since his move, he’s tried to motivateothers to get out and experience the Pacif-ic Northwest by sharing his experiencesthrough his writing and photography.

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As a kayaker andwork-ingmom, I have a penchant for greatpaddling destinations that are closeto home and easy onmywallet. Bak-er Lake Basin, nestled betweenMt.Baker and Mt. Shuksan, satisfiesmy requirements and then some.About 20miles east of Concrete

off Baker Lake Road, the basin isdefined by Baker Lake, a glacier-fed reservoir known for its breath-taking surface reflection of theMt.Baker summit.The lake is a dogleg shape just

under a mile wide with nine longmiles of primitive campsites, boatlaunches, car camping spots andrecreational beaches. Networks ofwell-marked trails guide hikersaround the lake and toward highmeadows, distant viewpoints andbackpacking destinations.I love kayaking Baker Lake in the

wee hours of a fall morning.WhenI dipmy paddle into the water, theworld is subdued in mist. As thesunburns through, blues and greensheighten and sounds multiply.Autumn intensifies everythingwithadded yellows, fewer visitors and asnap of chill.There are plenty of campgrounds

from which to launch a kayak orpowerboat.When I’m remote camp-ing, I usually leave my car at SwiftCreek Campground where there’sample parking. I pack the boat andpaddle across to the east side of thelake in search of a quiet campsite.If I’m car camping with the family,I drive intoHorseshoeCove becauseof its easy access, sandy beach andprotected swim area.

Camping and PicnickingCampgrounds along the busy

west side of Baker Lake open inMayand generally close in late Septem-ber. At the south end of the lakenext to Baker Lake Dam, KulshanCampground is the only spot openyear-round, and full RV hook-upsare available.Seasonal west side campgrounds

include Horseshoe Cove, ShannonCreek, Boulder Creek, PanoramaPoint and Swift Creek. HorseshoeCove and Swift Creek are popularfor families and groups. Swift Creekis the old Baker Lake Resort, nowpublicly owned and renovated with55 campsites for tents or RVs, amarina and launch, picnic spotsand two group sites. East side camp-grounds aremore primitive. Theseinclude Noisy Creek, Maple Groveand Anderson Point, all accessibleby boat or trail. If you paddle acrossthe lake from Shannon Creek andhead south, you’ll easily see the sites.In general, overnight camping

fees range from $14 to $18. Waterand amenities vary, so be sure tocheck campground facilities at theUSDA Forest Service website.

BoatingBoating is a delight on Baker

Lake. Powerboats generally launchat Swift CreekCampgroundbecauseof the convenient boat dock andmarina, however, all campgroundshave boat launches except for Boul-der Creek. Kulshan Campgroundat the south end offers the only year-round launch. Despite Baker Lake’sbeauty and easy access, a few poten-tial hazards do exist for boaters.

Old growth stumps fill the lakebasin. If the lake is at high pool –and it is this year – stumps can behidden just under the lake surface,especially in shallower areas. Boatersalso need to plan for the possibili-ty of high afternoon winds fromthe south whipping the water intoicy cold whitecaps. Day-use fees aretypically around $5, and passes canbe purchased at the camphost officeusually around the entrance to eachcampground.

HikingBaker Lake has several well-

marked trailheads. The best knownis Baker Lake Trail, which windsover 14 miles above the lake’s eastshorewith little elevation gain.Occa-sional spurs take hikers to lakesidecampgrounds or up to panoramicvistas, high-elevationmeadows andmountain lakes. Baker Lake Trail-head is located at the south end ofthe lake past KulshanCampground,across the Upper Baker Dam andleft down Forest Service road #1107for one mile. Check with the For-est Service office in Sedro-Woolleyor the Information Center inMar-blemount for suggestions, trailmapsand condition reports.

Baker Hot SpringBaker Hot Spring is a mineral-

rich thermal pool about fourmilesfromBaker Lake Road. The up- to-100-degree spring offers a fun, shortexcursion and hidden (clothing-optional) respite. Not monitoredby the Forest Service, it still occa-sionally suffers fromneglect or pet-ty vandalism. Visitors help by cart-ing off any trash or empty bottles

they encounter. The turnoff is leftpast the Boulder Creek Bridge atForest Service road #1130 (MartenLake Road). After driving aboutfourmiles (bearing right), turn rightonForest Service #1144.Drive anoth-er half-mile to a large parking area.The spring is past a switchback atthe edge of a clear cut.

Important• Bring insect repellent. Baker Lakeis known for hungry mosquitos,even in the fall. Adults are lessactive when temperatures dipbelow 50 degrees, but they do livethrough September and some-times into October. I always takeprecautions by zipping tent flapsand, if necessary, assembling aninexpensive netted canopy for day-time sitting and eating.• Dress for the cold. Despite warmfall days, lake water is always gla-cier cold and evening air temper-atures drop. Dress in layers withquick-drying synthetic fabricsand/or wool.• Pack for emergencies. Baker Lakemaybepopular, but it’s stillmoun-tain wilderness. Carry theMoun-taineer’s Ten Essentials (see side-bar).• Watch the weather. Mountainweather is capricious, so keep aneye on the skies and stay currentwithweather reports. Always trav-el with extra clothing and food incase you’re caught unaware.Morethan once I’ve been grateful for apacked turtleneck, extra waterand a few protein bars.• Purchase aNorthwest Forest Serv-ice Pass. This pass is now required

at all Forest Service day-use feesites inWashington andOregon.It’s also interchangeable betweenvehicles in the same household.You can purchase a day pass for$5 or an annual pass for $30. Readdetails at www.discovernw.org.

DirectionsFrom the west: Take State Route

20 off I-5. Drive east approximate-ly 16miles past Sedro-Woolley, andturn left on Baker Lake Road. Afterwinding north another 14 or somiles you’ll reachUpper BakerDam.Continue north onBaker LakeRoadand follow signs to campgrounds.Forest Service roads are clearlymarked.

From the east: Take scenic StateRoute 20 through the North Cas-cades. Pass throughMarblemountand just west of Concrete turn righton Baker Lake Road. After windingnorth another 14miles or so you’llreach Upper Baker Dam. Continuenorth on Baker Lake Road and fol-low signs to campgrounds. ForestService roads are clearly marked.For more information, contact:

Mt. Baker Ranger District Parkand Forest Information Center810 State Route 20, Sedro-Wool-

ley,Washington 98284. Tel: 360/856-5700 ext. 515.

Wilderness InformationCenter, Marblemount

One mile down Ranger StationRoad at milepost 105.3 on StateRoute 20, just west of Marble-mount. Tel: 360/854-7245.

Online Information:USDA Forest Service website for

Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National

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GLIDING THROUGH GRANDEURBaker Lake: A spectacular weekend adventureSTORY BY DAWN GROVES

TEN ESSENTIALS


Forest: www.fs.fed.us/r6/mbs/about/mbrd.shtml. On the left sidemain menu, click Recreation. Onthe displayedRecreationPage, locateTrip Planning and click the secondlink, Baker Lake Road, Forest Road#11. This displays the Baker Lake /Middle ForkNooksack page. Scrolldown to Activities and select froma list of campgrounds, hiking trails,picnic areas and more.

Campsite Information and

ReservationsSome campsites can be reserved.

Check the website for a list of avail-able spots: www.recreation.gov, orcall 877/444-6777.X

Dawn Groves is an author, kayaker,and a productivity consultant for busi-nesses. Visit her at www.dawngroves.com.

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If you’re venturing more than a couple hundred yardsfrom your car, the ten essentials are, well, essential. Youmay not use every or any item on the list during a shortday hike, but if you do end up in an emergency situation,you’ll be glad you had your bases covered.The original list was put together in the 1930s by Seat-

tle-based group The Mountaineers. The Mountaineers updat-ed it in 2003 to take a systems approach, which allowsfor customization to each outdoor adventurer’s preferencesand needs.

1. Navigation (waterproof map, compass, GPS,altimeter)

2. Sun protection (sunglasses, sunscreen for skinand lips, skin-shielding clothing)

3. Insulation (extra clothing, hat, socks, gloves)

4. Illumination (headlamp, flashlight, lantern)

5. First-aid supplies (should include at least treat-ments for blisters, bandages, gauze, tape, disinfect-ing ointment, pain medication, pen and paper)

6. Fire (waterproof matches, firestarter)

7. Repair kit and tools (knife, multitool, duct tape)

8. Nutrition (extra food not requiring cooking, atleast one-day supply)

9. Hydration (extra water, water filter/purifier orchemical treatment)

10.Emergency shelter (ultralight tarp, emergencyblanket, large garbage bag)

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Salmon are an icon ofthe Pacific Northwest, emblemat-ic of the cool, clear rivers that flowfrom the North Cascades.There are five species of Pacific

salmon: Chinook (King), coho (sil-ver), chum (dog), pink (humpy) andsockeye (red). All are anadromous,meaning they begin and end life infresh water, migrating to the seaafter emerging from eggs, rearingthere for two to six years, then return-ing to spawn in the fresh water andclean gravel of their natal stream.Female salmon build a “redd”

(nest) in the streamed gravels bydigging a shallow depression withtheir tail, then themale and femalesimultaneously deposit eggs andmilt in the redd and cover themwith gravel. Each species of salmonhas developed a unique life histo-ry and occupies a specific ecologi-cal niche. And each species can beobserved in the rivers and streamsdrainingMount Baker.Chinook are the largest Pacific

salmon. Historically the Columbiaand Elwah rivers supported excep-tionally large fish, with “JuneHogs”frequently topping 100 pounds ormore. Chinook prefer the fast, deepwaters of large rivers. Chinook enterlocal rivers during the spring andsummer, moving upstream to laytheir eggs (spawn) in the late sum-mer and fall.

Juvenile chinook emerge fromthe redd in early spring, and mostyoung fish move downstream tothe ocean soon thereafter. Juvenilechinook spend approximately fouryears in the ocean. Good places toobserve chinook include the BoydCreek interpretive trail near Gla-cier, Donovan Park in northernSkagit County, or via boat in themainstem Skagit and Nooksackrivers. Chinook can occasionally beobserved in the center of Belling-ham in Whatcom Creek; look forthem from the Racine Street foot-bridge in late August and early Sep-tember.Chum salmon are the second

largest Pacific salmon. They areweaker swimmers than chinook andtypically prefer channel edges orspring-fed side channels for spawn-ing. Chum salmon enter the riverto spawn in late fall, with the juve-niles emerging and immediatelymoving downstream to the oceanin early spring.Chum are typically around 2 to

3 feet long, with blotchy purplestripes along their flanks. What-com Creek supports a large popu-lation of chum that originate fromthe hatchery inMaritime HeritagePark. Look for chum there in lateOctober and early November.Wildchum salmon can be seen in theNorth Fork Nooksack River.

Coho are the most widespreadspecies of salmon in our area. Theyare strong swimmers and jumpers,and prefer small streams for spawn-ing, often traveling far upstream.Coho spawn in the late fall andwin-ter, November through January.Juvenile coho rear in rivers for

one to two years before movingdownstream to the ocean as smolts,where they reside for about threeyears. Brick red anddark green cohoare easy to see in many small localstreams.In Bellingham, look for coho

from the footbridges over Chuck-anut Creek at Arroyo Park or Pad-den Creek in Fairhaven Park. Oth-er areas to view coho include BoydCreek and Thompson Creek nearGlacier or in Skagit County.Pink salmon are the smallest

Pacific salmonid, averaging about18 inches long. During their spawn-ing, males develop a pronouncedhumped back, hence their nick-name “humpies.” Juvenile pinksalmon rapidlymigrate downstreamafter emerging from redds in earlyspring and rear there for one year.Pink salmon have a strict two-

year life cycle; in our area they returnto spawn only in odd years. Thisyear is forecasted to be one of thelargest pink salmon returns in years.Pink salmonwill be visible inmostsmall local streams this year start-

ing in late August.Sockeye salmon are unique

because the young fish require lakesfor rearing. Historically Baker Lakenear Concrete supported the onlynative sockeye population in ourregion. Construction of damsblocked upstream migration anddrowned natural Baker Lake, andthus the sockeye population is cur-rentlymaintained by hatchery pro-duction.During years of high adult

returns, fish are released into Bak-er Lake and spawn along lakemar-gins or at the upstream end of thelake. Look for these gorgeous scar-let and green fish in late Septem-ber and earlyOctober from the Bak-erRiver trail footbridge, in spring-fedChannel Creek along the road tothe trailhead or on lake marginsnear the Panorama Point or Shan-non Creek campgrounds.For viewing locations in What-

com County, visit www.whatcomsalmon.whatcomcounty.org/salmon-seethemrun.html.X

Sue Madsen works as RestorationEcologist for the Skagit Fisheries Enhance-ment Group and is a Board Member oftheMount Baker VolcanoResearchCen-ter. When she’s not chasing salmon, shecan be found backcountry skiing, hik-ing or kayaking on Puget Sound.

VIEWING LOCATIONDIRECTIONS

Boyd Creek Interpretive Trail:Boyd Creek, three miles downDeadhorse Creek Road (Road 37)off Mt. Baker Highway, about amile east of Glacier. Self-guidedinterpretive walk follows recent-ly restored Boyd Creek, an impor-tant salmon spawning habitat.Signs along this forested mostlyboardwalk trail detail the life cyclesof species such as Chinook, pinkand coho salmon, as well as steel-head and cutthroat trout.

Thompson Creek: Bridge locatedone mile up Glacier Creek Road.

North Fork Nooksack: Parkingarea on North Fork Road, about1.5 miles from Mosquito Lake Road.

Baker Lake: Follow State Route20 east for 16 miles to milepost82. Turn left (north) on the Bak-er Lake Highway (Forest ServiceRoad #11). Continue on the Bak-er Lake Highway for 25.5 miles tothe road’s end at the trailheadand parking area.

Channel Creek parallels the roadfor about one mile just before theroad reaches the trailhead. TheBaker River trail reaches the Bak-er River Bridge in .6 miles.

RUNNING WITH THE SALMONSTORY BY SUE MADSEN

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The programs offeredby the North Cascades Institute(NCI) aren’t just about learninghow to pick gear or read amap. Lit-erary and visual arts are as promi-nent on the schedule as backcoun-try expeditions.“That’s actually somethingwe’ve

longpridedourselves on,” saidNCI’sCommunications Coordinator

ChristianMartin.“There are a lot of different ways

to appreciate and interpret a phys-ical landscape, but every landscapealso has its artistic levels to it.”This year, the institutemarks its

25th anniversary, and a day-longbirthday party is set for September24. On the schedule are naturalist-led activities on Diablo Lake and

local trails, tours of the facility anda picnic and barbecue ($5 suggest-ed donation for food).Martin suggests coming for the

picnic and staying for one of theinstitute’s most popular offerings,the Sourdough Speaker Series.The first presentation of the fall

takes place September 24-25 andfeatures local chef and authorDebra

Daniels-Zeller.Installments in the series include

dinner, an after-dinner presenta-tion and overnight lodging, fol-lowed by breakfast and a numberof guided hikes or canoe trips thenext day. A full schedule of this fall’sspeakers is available at www.ncascades.org/speakerseries.One other sure-to-be popular

class on the schedule is October29’s day program on Northwestmushrooms.“That time of year, the forests are

the stars of the show,”Martin said.The workshop is always a popularone, and tends to fill up early.“There’s somuch variety to explore.”For more information on NCI,

visit www.ncascades.org.

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NCI CELEBRATES ITS 25TH YEARIf you need a little help hitting the trail or expressing your sense of wonder at nature'smajesty, outdoor stewards NCI and REI are here to help.

CLASSES THAT COVER ALL THEBASES AND THE BASICS TO BOOT

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With snow still coveringmost trails above 4,000 feet, the pop-ular class this year at the Belling-ham REI was bike maintenance.Backpacking and hiking classes

run a close second during the sum-mer and fall, according to outreachcoordinator Pat Kennedy.As a co-op, offering free or low-

cost classes is a core part of REI’smission. “The classes are designedto educate and inspire people inoutdoor recreation,” Kennedy said.Classes on the basics – biking, back-packing, navigation and show-shoeing, for example – will alwaysbe found on the schedule.However, that schedule is con-

tinually expanding. The store recent-ly held its first-ever outdoor pho-tography class, and Kennedy is“always looking for some outsidepresenters or presenterswithinREI.”“People are always excited to come

in and hear about what other peo-ple did for a trip,” he said.In addition to a full schedule of

classes and clinics, REI sponsors orhelps coordinate a variety of serv-ice projects in the region. Many ofthose planned for the summer hadbeen canceled or moved.As fall sets in, though, Kennedy

expects to see more on the docket.More people are in school and inthe volunteeringmindset, and theconditions are just right for plansto take hold and grow.With fall andwinter on the hori-

zon, Kennedy expects to see moreinterest in lowland service projectsand, soon, snowshoeing.“Snowshoeing’s probably our

most popular class in the winter-time,” Kennedy said. “It’s so acces-sible.”Check the BellinghamREI event

calendar at www.rei.com/stores/65.

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With collegeon the EastCoast once again beckoning, myincredible summer at home in theNorthwest was coming to a close,and our family decided to end itwith an adventure. An adventurewas surely what we got. Goingriver rafting with Wild andScenic Adventures (www.wildandscenic.com) on the NooksackRiver in the Mt. Baker foothillswas definitely the highlight of oursummer.

Wemet atWild andScenic’s head-quarters in Glacier and were intro-duced toAlyssa, whowould be guid-ing our raft down the 8-mile stretchof powerful rapids. The river levelswere still high due to the amountof snowmelt after a La Niña winterof extreme snowfall in the NorthCascades. According to our guide,the Nooksack River is one of thesteepest in Washington state. Fol-lowing a safety demonstration (com-plete with advice on what to do ifwe fell out: Do Not Let Go Of TheSafety Rope!), we climbed into theraft.

We barely had time to check outthe breathtaking scenery before thewater caught us andpusheduswest-

ward down the river. We followedthe commands of our guide as sheyelled, “Paddle, paddle!” and off wewent through the first set of rapids.

Crashingdown the riverwas exhil-ilarating – and very wet. AlthoughWild and Scenic offers less chal-lenging and calmer trips, this onewas not one of them.

We paddled through a series ofrapids, most of which were ClassIII with one Class IV thriller. Myfavorite was Turtle Rapid where wehad to thread our way between tworocks shaped like a turtle. Thewaterwas frigid and every rapid weencountered gave us a shock of coldas it cascaded over us.

Midway through the trip westopped on a nice warm river bankpast a rapid called “Postcard,” namedfor its stunning view ofMount Bak-er. Alyssa prepared a delicious lunchfor us as we sat in our wetsuits, dry-ing out in the warm August sun.After we stilled our hunger pangswith turkey sandwiches and gua-camole,we stretchedout and enjoyedthe afternoon.

We started the second half of thetrip feeling like seasoned pros, total-ly ready for whatever came our way.

What we didn’t expect, however, iswhat laid ahead of us around thenext river bend. As we approacheda large log that had fallen halfwayover the river about ten feet aboveus, the unexpected happened.

Upfront someone suddenly yelled,“Bear!” To our left, we saw a smallbrown bear loping along the riverbank. As we neared the fallen log,the bear jumped onto it and rantowards the other side. Halfwayacross, it realized the log didn’t gothe whole way across. Turningaroundwith its back to us, the bearheaded back the way it had come.Just as we were about to pass underthe tree, it saw us.

It’s hard to say who was morestartled – the bear or us. It was onlyeight feet high directly above us.We all sat in shock watching thebear and hoping it wasn’t going tofall off the tree into our raft.

Thankfully, the bear booked itback to shore and disappeared intothe forest. Flabbergasted, we alllooked at each other and broke intolaughter and babbled over what wehad just experienced. Our guidesaid she had never seen a bear onthe river before.

The rest of the raft trip was pow-ered with an incredible rush ofadrenaline and euphoria. It was agreat end to an incredible day.

If you want to go rafting, you’llhave to move fast as the seasonmight be coming to an end. Highwater levels have allowed the raftcompanies to run trips throughSeptember but there’s no tellinghowmuch longer they can do so.

If you want to raft in the shad-ow of Mt. Baker, do it now or waituntil next year.Xs Hard to believe that fan palms once grew in the Mt. Baker foothills.

s Rushing down the river ...

s A wet but happy crew. Guide Alyssa, rear, Alexandra Grubb, left.

LOOK OUT FOR BEARS! BY ALEXANDRA GRUBB

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Above, photo of Tour de Whatcom riders by Tim ChandonnetBelow, photo of Dylan Hart by Meghan Hill

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Left and above, photos by Brad WaltonBelow, photo by Gene Davis

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THESE PUBLICATIONS ARE PROUDLY CREATED AND BROUGHT TO YOU BY POINT ROBERTS PRESS, [email protected]

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GRIZZLIES: A RARE SIGHTIN THE CASCADESBY JEREMY SCHWARTZ

When WilliamClarkand Meriwether Lewis made theirhistoric trek across theUnited Statesto theWest Coast, grizzly bear pop-ulations were estimated to bebetween 50,000 and 100,000, witha range that stretched fromAlaskato the border of Mexico. Now 200years later, the grizzly bear popu-lation has dwindled to about 90 inthe Pacific Northwest. The num-bers are even fewer in the NorthCascades ecosystem, with themostrecent estimate being 20 in a 9,500-square-mile area.“They’re out there, but verified

sightings are few and far between,”said Joe Scott, the international pro-grams director with Bellingham-based Conservation Northwest.So whenword spread among the

conservation community that a hik-er, Joe Sebille, had photographeda grizzly bear in North CascadesNational Park last year, Scott andhis colleagues were understandablya little excited. The photo turnedout to be the first confirmed sight-ing of a grizzly bear on U.S. side ofthe North Cascades since 1997.While verified sightings of griz-

zlies are always important, Scottsaid the significance of the sight-ing depends onwhat place that indi-vidual bear has in the North Cas-cades population. Researcherscannot tell from the photowhetherthe bear is part of a new populationin the area or one of the last remain-ing. Thoughbear numbers are dwin-dling, Scott and his colleaguesremain hopeful that meaningful

grizzly bear recovery can happen inthe North Cascades.“It’s such a big area and such a

wild area that you always have tohave hope that there are more outthere,” Scott said. “We wouldn’t bedoing the work we’re doing if webelieved that they were gone.”Scott said “Most grizzly bears

will generally stay away fromhumans, but people need to behum-ble when they go into wild areas.With these bears, you need to payattention when you go into theirdomain,” adding, “It’s being awareis what it comes down to. If we’reaware, we protect animals and our-selves.”The North Cascades is the per-

fect habitat for grizzly bears becauseof the large wild areas and the vari-ety of food available. Their dietincludes fish, white bark pine nuts,skunk cabbage and berries. Whilegrizzlies tend to thrive in thewildestof areas, the bears do not necessarilyneed wilderness untouched byhumans, Scott said. Glacier Nation-al Park in Montana has about 900bears and is one of the most heav-ily recreated parks in the country.Grizzlies are considered an

umbrella species, the conservationof which also benefits hundreds ofother species. Because the bears aresuch habitat generalists, savingwildspaces for themmeans saving wildspaces for many other animals.“When we protect bears, we pro-vide an insurance policy for manyother animals,” Scott said.The bears were first listed as a

federal endangered species in theearly 1990s. All of North CascadesNational Park and parts of theMount Baker-Snoqualmie andWenatchee-Okanogan NationalForests were declared a grizzly bearrecovery zone, the second largestzone in the U.S.“Grizzly bears could be ignored

into extinction in this area, so peo-ple need to involve themselves inenvironmental groups that advo-cate for animals,” Scott said. “What’sgood for bears and other animalsis good for people.”For Scott, seeing a grizzly or oth-

er large carnivore in the wild is alife-changing experience he wantsto be able to share with future gen-erations.“You see some of these wonders

and you think, ‘My God.’ We liveon an awesome planet with a rich-ness that’s incomparable,” Scottsaid. “It’s our responsibility to passthat richness on to our children andtheirs. Every time we lose one ofthese animals, we impoverish ourplanet and those who come afterus.”For more info, visit www.

conservationnw.org or www.bearinfo.org. To report a grizzly sight-ing, call 360/734-6060.X

JeremySchwartz has been on the earthfor ameager 24 transits around the sun,but has tried tomake themost of his time.When not taking in a 1950s sci-fi movieat the Pickford, he can be found lookingfor a good hike for the weekend.

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FAITH OF CRANES: Finding Hopeand Family in AlaskaBy Hank LentferAvailable October $16.95Hank Lentfer listened to cranes passingover his home in Alaska for 20 yearsbefore bothering to find out where theywere headed. On a very visceral level,he didn't want to know.After all, cranesgliding through the skies are the essenceof wildness. A former wildlife biologistand longtime conservationist, Lentferhad accepted that not much could bedone to stop clear cuts, or afffect climatechange, or ensure that the cranes wouldalways appear. He had no idea that fol-lowing the paths of cranes would leadhim towards his deepest fears: parent-hood, responsibility, and actions of hopein a frustrating and warming world.

THE PACIFIC CREST TRAILSIDEREADER, OREGON & WASHINGTON:Adventure, History, and Legendon the Long-Distance TrailEdited by Rees Hughes, Corey LewisAvailable October $19.95Exploring the people, places, and histo-ry of the Pacific Crest Trail that stretch-es 2,600 miles from Mexico to Canada,The Pacific Crest Trailside Reader com-piles short excerpts from classic worksof regional writing and boot-tested sto-ries from the trail.The heart of the anthology are the realtrail tales. Readers will find historicalaccounts of such events as Moses Schal-lenberger's winter on Donner Pass andpioneer efforts like the old Naches Roadthat ended up creating access to today'strails; Native American myths and leg-ends and selections from highly-regard-ed environmental writers such as MaryAustin, John Muir, and Barry Lopez.

BACKCOUNTRY SKI &SNOWBOARD ROUTES OREGONby Christopher Van TilburgAvailable October $18.95The first guidebook in a new series fromMountaineers Books, the book describesnearly 100 of the best mountain routesfor winter backcountry seekers. Whilemany routes are geared toward inter-mediate and expert riders, there are alsoroutes for those going into the back-country for the first time.It also includes routes for Mount St.Helens, Mount Adams, and Muir Snow-field in Washington. Sections describeavalanche safety, best resources, gear,Oregon backcountry laws, and routesby best season and skill level.

WILDERNESS & TRAVEL MEDICINE:A Comprehensive Guide,Adventure Medical Kitsby Eric WeissAvailable February $15.95First published in 1992, Wilderness &Travel Medicine has been a staple of theemergency first-aid kits sold worldwideby Adventure Medical Kits. Now Moun-taineers Books and Adventure MedicalKits have partnered to release an updat-ed, standalone reference for anyonewho ventures away from civilization.Topics include CPR, shock, and fracturesto head, eye, and dental injuries, poi-sonous reactions, frostbite, hypother-mia, heat illness, and more.

THE URBAN FARM HANDBOOK:City-Slicker Resources for Grow-ing, Raising, Sourcing, Trading,and Preparing What You EatByAnnette Cottrell & Joshua McNicholsAvailable October $24.95More than just a few ideas about gar-dening and raising chickens, The UrbanFarm Handbook uses stories, charts, gro-cery lists, recipes, and calendars toinform and instruct. As busy urbaniteswho have learned how to do everythingfrom making cheese and curing meatto collaborating with neighbors on afood bartering system, the authors sharetheir own food journeys along withthose of local producers and consumerswho are changing the food systems inthe Pacific Northwest.

For Your BookshelfA selection of titles from The Mountaineers

THE CLIMBING DICTIONARY:Mountaineering Slang, Terms,Neologisms & LingoBy Matt Samet,illustratrated by Mike TeaAvailable Now $14.95In this hilarious yet authoritative illus-trated lexicon of climbing terms andslang, former Climbing Editor-in-ChiefMatt Samet has compiled a reference ofmore than 650 terms used by climbersand mountaineers around the world.

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thing different,” she said.Most people sitting withO’Con-

nell at the bakerywould simply offerto help after they heard her describ-ing thework that needed to be done.Before she knew it, O’Connell hadan army of volunteers ready to puta new face on the restaurant.“It was pretty darn incredible,”

Court Anderson said.Graham’s Restaurant has long

been the focal point of the townbecause it’s smack-dab in the cen-ter of the community. No otherestablishment in Glacier offers theopportunity to come in after workand just hang outwith a few friendsand talk about the day. “We knewKatie needed all the help she couldget, and we were there to step up,”Court said. “We all wanted ourneighborhood bar back.”Glacier needs every shop and

restaurant in the town to stay opento keep the community attractiveto tourists who are its biggest sourceof revenue, Court said, addingGra-ham’s Restaurant is part of whatmakes Glacier unique.Rebecca said Graham’s Restau-

rant has gone through multipletransformations over the decadesbut has always been amajor part ofthe Glacier community. With hall-marks of the building’s storied pasthanging on the walls, the restau-rant is also the closet thing Glacierhas to a historical museum, sheadded. “On the first night the doorswere opened to the public again, itwas so wonderful looking aroundat our refreshed surroundings withall the beaming smiles on customers’faces as well as the Graham’s staff,”Rebecca said. “There is such a senseof ownership in the place.”With Graham’s operating with

a new look, a new attitude, and anew menu featuring local food,O’Connell said she’s looking for-ward tomany a busy night as Glac-ier’s newest business owner.Graham’s Restaurant is located

at 9989 Mt. Baker Highway and isopen seven days aweek from11 a.m.to 9p.m. Formore info, call 360/599-3663 or visit www.grahamsrestaurant.com.X

The walls have been paint-ed, the dust has been cleared outand one interior wall has beenremoved. Hours and hours of laborhave been poured into reopeningGraham’s Restaurant in Glacier,and new owner Katie O’Connellcannot thank the communityenough for its support.O’Connell added a pool table in

the space near the back of the restau-rant and removed a wall to makethemain dining area feel roomier.The new wooden beams that wereinstalled as part of the ceiling camefrom the old Georgia Pacific ware-house on the Bellingham water-front. The posts where the old wallused to be came from the old Gla-cier Creek Lodge across the street.Normally such extensive reno-

vations cost thousands, but everyhour of work and every stroke of apaintbrush was donated by mem-bers of the community. O’Connellsaid her neighbors in Glacier werenothing short of a godsend in get-ting her established in Graham’s.“There was a lot of love that was

put into this place to get it open,”she said.After working for four years as a

server,O’Connell decided to rent thespace fromGary Graham and keepthe lightsburningafter former restau-rant ownersChris Collins andKuo-Yu Liang sought business opportu-nities elsewhere. ThoughO’Connellhad worked as a server for 25 yearsin various spots up and down theMt. Baker Highway, she had neverrun a restaurant herself. Here, too,O’Connell looked to the advice ofother business owners in Glacier,especiallyCourt andRebeccaAnder-son, owners ofWake n’ Bakery.Rebecca said they gave O’Con-

nell advice on the ins and outs ofowning a small business and helpedher understand the permittingprocess in Whatcom County.TheAndersons offered their shop

as a makeshift planning area forO’Connell during the renovation.Almost every morning for a goodsevenweeks, O’Connell wouldmeetwith others atWake n’ Bakery anddecide what jobs should be donethat day. “Every daywould be some-

IT TAKES A VILLAGETO OPEN A RESTAURANTBY JEREMY SCHWARTZ


Mushroom fanciersprefer the damp because, well, lifeis always better with fungi (espe-cially when sautéed in butter andgarlic). To advance public knowl-edge and spread the gospel ofmushrooms, the NMA organizesan annual Wild Mushroom Show.This year’s program is set for

October 16 from noon to 5 p.m.at Bellingham’s Bloedel DonovanPark. Visitors will enjoy beauti-fully arranged specimen tables,touch and feel exhibits for theentire family, displays on mush-room ecology, tasty samplings oflocally grown sautéed chantrelles– yum! – and even the occasion-al microscope for in-depth view-ing.Curious guests often bring their

own mushrooms for identifica-tion. Admission is $5 for adults,$3 for students and seniors andfree for children under 12.Perfectly situated in mushroom-

growing heaven, the NMA is anactive organization of professionaland amateur mycologists. Theirinformative website, www.north-westmushroomers.org, offers arti-cles, expertise, membership andevent information, and links toother like-minded groups.Because mushroom harvesting

regulations are carefully controlledand can change yearly, the NMAalso maintains a link to the mostrecent rulings. The “WashingtonState Personal Use MushroomHarvesting Rules as of March 19,2010,” can be downloaded atwww.northwestmushroomers.org/Documents/WashingtonMushroomRules2010.pdf.

Note: In cases of suspected poi-sonings, the NMA advises victimsto save a sample of the mushroomin question – even if the materi-al has been regurgitated – and callthe Poison Control Center imme-diately at 800/222-1222.X

FUN WITHFUNGUSBY DAWN GROVES

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SSEEPPTTEEMMBBEERRMaple Falls Car Show: September 3, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., downtown Maple Falls. Car, truck and mo-torcycle show ‘n shine, raffles, poker walk, live music, food and more. $10 per vehicle entry, free forspectators. Info: 800/709-7669 or [email protected].

Bellingham Walking Festival: September 9-10. Two days of waterfront and friendly Bellinghamneighborhood walks. Info: www.nwtrekkers.org.

Wooden Boat Festival: September 9-11, Port Townsend. Info: www.woodenboat.org.

Mount Baker Club Hike: Saturday, September 10, Cow Heaven. Cows made it up here – so can you.A long and challenging hike, 4,500 feet of elevation gain. Info: www.mountbakerclub.org or Paul at360/734-1409.

Hike Cougar Divide: September 10, Bellingham. Info: www.mountbakerwild.org, call Renetta at360/398-8939 for Bellingham meeting place/time and to RSVP.

San Juan Orca Challenge: September 10, Washington Park, Anacortes. Fundraiser with paddlingraces of either 6 or 16 miles. Info: www.soundrowers.org.

Shore to Shore: September 10, Lake Chelan. Marathon, half-marathon, 10k, and marathon relay.Info: www.runwenatchee.com.

Mount Robson Marathon 2011: September 10, Valemount, B.C. Info: www.mountrobsonmarathon.ca.

South Fork Nooksack River Canoe Clean-up: September 10, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Paddle down theSouth Fork of the Nooksack and remove litter from the riverbanks. Some canoes and life jackets pro-vided. Registration required. Info: www.n-sea.org or 360/715-0283.

Trek Dirt Series Mountain Bike Camp: September 10-11, Whistler, B.C. World-class instructionalcamps for beginner, intermediate, and advanced riders. Info: www.dirtseries.com.

RBC GranFondo Whistler: September 10 from Vancouver to Whistler, B.C. Enjoy a dedicated cy-cling lane from downtown Vancouver to Whistler, fully supported. Info: www.RBCGranFondoWhistler.com

North American Rogaining Championships: September 10-11, Kamloops, B.C. Info: www.orienteeringbc.ca/sage.

Fairhaven Runners Waterfront 15K: September 10, 8:30 a.m., Bellingham. Enjoy running or walk-ing a beautiful 9.3-mile course along Bellingham Bay. Food and live music after. Info:www.cob.org/races or www.fairhavenrunners.com.

Whatcom County Farm Tour: September 10, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Enjoy wagon rides, food and drinksamples, animal petting and more. Info: 360/647-7093.

Bike MS WA: September 10, 7:30 a.m., Mount Vernon. A two-day supported ride through SkagitValley. Info: www.bikemsnorthwest.org

Festival 542: September 10-11, Glacier, Maple Falls and Mt. Baker Ski Area. A challenging mountaintrail run from Mount Baker Ski Area to Artist’s Point. Also includes bike ride of 24.5, 50, 100, or 150miles. No day-of registration. Info: www.festival542.com.

Skagit Flats Marathon: September 11, 8 a.m., Burlington-Edison High School. Meet at Burlington-Edison High School for the full and half marathons. Both are flat, rural courses through Skagit Valleyand are USATF certified. Info: www.skagitrunners.org.

Coho Run 14k: Sunday, September 11, West Vancouver, BC. This fabulous run winds through Stan-ley Park and over Lion’s Gate Bridge, among other scenic spots. Info: www.runthenorthshore.com.

XTERRA Kelowna Duathalon/Triathalon: September 11, McCulloch Lake Rec Site, Kelowna, BC.Choose from a variety of triathalons and duathalons. Info: www.xterraokanagan.com/xterra-kelowna-race-info.

MS Golf Challenge: September 12, Northview Golf & Country Club, Surrey, B.C. Info: www.ms-golfchallenge.ca

Trek Tri-Island: September 16-19, Lopez, Orcas and San Juan islands. Join the American Lung As-sociation of the Mountain Pacific in its fight for air by participating in a three-day fundraising ride.Info: 206/441-5100 ext. 23 or www.trektriisland.com.

Diablo Downtime: September 16-18, North Cascades Learning Center Campus. Tranquil getaway inthe North Cascades. Cost ranges from $245 to $485 depending on occupancy. Info and registration:www.ncascades.org.

10th Anniversary Great Lake Walk and Ultra Marathon 56 km: September 17, Cowichan Lake,B.C. Walk or run. Info: www.greatlakewalk.com.

Innovative Fitness Canuck Place Adventure Challenge: September 17, Cultus Lake, B.C. Kayak,bike, and hike to support Canuck Place Children’s Hospice. Info: www.adventurechallenge.ca.

Mount Baker Club Bike Excursion: September 17, Mount Baker. Bike Canada’s Mayne Island. Info:Ron, 360/733-1183.

Mountaineers Lodge Weekend (Mount Baker Club): September 16-17, Mount Baker. Enjoy twobreakfasts and a Saturday dinner and hike right from the lodge. If you don’t want to stay at the lodge,join for day hikes. Info: www.mountaineers.org/lodge/baker.

Co-operators Dare to Care 5K Walk/Run and 10K Challenge 2011: September 17, 9 a.m., Ab-botsford, B.C. Info: www.runningroom.com.

Freedom Run 5K, 10K, and Kids Run: September 17, 9 a.m., Abbotsford, B.C. Run to support ed-ucation for Afghan girls. Info: www.runningroom.com.

Valhalla Pure Outfitters Nanaimo Women’s Cup: September 17, Nanaimo, B.C. Info:www.gorowandpaddle.org/events.

PRCC Length of the Lake: September 17, 7 a.m., Vernon, B.C. Info: www.pentictonoutrigger.com.

Bellingham Traverse: September 17, starts at 8 a.m. at The Farmers Market, ending at BoundaryBay. Go solo, grab a friend, or form a whole team for this fun race! Celebrate the 10th anniversary ofBellingham Traverse with a cold beer after the race. Info: www.bellinghamtraverse.com.

Innovative Fitness Canuck Place Adventure Challenge: September 17, Deep Cove, North Van-couver, B.C. Kayak, bike and hike to support Canuck Place Children’s Hospice. Info: www.adventurechallenge.ca.

BMX BC Cup: September 17-18, Surrey, B.C. Info: www.cyclingbc.net

5th Annual 7 Summits Bike and Hike Challenge: September 17, Wells, B.C. Info: www.whitegold.ca/biking.html.

Mount Baker Club Cascade Pass Hike: September 18, Bellingham. 7.5 miles round trip, moderate,1,800-foot elevation gain. Group will meet at 8 a.m., car pool fee of $10. Bring sunscreen and insectrepellant. Info: Cliff, 360/647-9350.

The Terry Fox Run: September 18, 9:30 a.m., Stanley Park, Vancouver, B.C. Dogs on leash wel-come. Info: www.terryfox.org.

Chuckanut Century Bicycle Ride: September 18, starting and finishing at Boundary Bay Brewery,Bellingham. Routes range from 25 to 124 miles, money raised supports the Whatcom Hospice Foun-dation. Info: www.chuckanutcentury.org.

North Cascades PCT: September 18, 6 a.m., Mazama. Run a section between Rainy and Hart’spasses. Open, alpine ridges in the heart of the North Cascades. Info: www.rainshadowrunning.com or509/846-5019.

Mount Baker Club Yellow Astor Butte Hike: September 21, Bellingham. Round trip 6 miles with a2,100-foot elevation gain. Moderate except for the last section, which is steep. Info: Jo, 360/734-5922.

White Rock Food and Wine Festival: September 22, 6 to 10 p.m., Eaglequest Coyote Creek GolfCourse, Surrey, B.C. Local and international wine and gourmet local food. Info: 604/574-2964.

JDRF Ride for Diabetes Research: September 23. Info: www.jdrf.ca.

EVENTS around the Mount Baker region

s Robert Sarazin Blake and Giants Causeway were one of many performances during the 2011Subdued Stringband Jamboree held August 13 to 14. More than 1,200 music lovers attended the jam-boree. Above, left to right: Cayley Schmid on fiddle, Clea Taylor on cello, David Lofgren on bodhranand Robert Sarazin Blake on guitar. Mark your calendars now – next year's Subdued Stringband Jam-boree is scheduled for August 10 to 11, 2012.

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The Freedom Run: September 24 in five B.C. locations: Vernon, Kamloops, Victoria, Nanaimo andCastlegar. Come help support diabetes research. Info: www.thefreedomrun.ca.

Whidbey Island Kite Festival: September 24, 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., September 25, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.,Camp Casey, Coupeville. Featuring impressive ground and air displays of color and imagination. Ac-tivities include kids' kitemaking, beginning sport kite lessons and sport kite demonstrations. Info:www.whidbeykites.org/schedule.php.

Tour de Whidbey: September 24, check in starts at 7 a.m., Greenbank Farms and Coupeville HighSchool. The Tour de Whidbey is a major fundraiser for the WGH Foundation, supported by the Auxil-iary of Whidbey General Hospital, which assists in providing vital health care to the community.Choose a 10, 30, 40, 50 or 100 mile bike race. Info: http://www.whidbeygen.org/whidbeygeneralhos-pitalfoundation/tourdewhidbey.

American Alps Challenge: September 24. The relay begins at Washington Pass and ends at Mar-blemount, including 67 miles of biking, running and kayaking. Event is limited to first the 100 teamsto register. Info: www.americanalps.org.

Mind Over Mountain Race: September 24, Cumberland, B.C. Sprint adventure race over 30 or 50kilometers of exciting B.C. terrain. Info: www.mindovermountain.com.

San Juan Island Quest: September 24, Roche Harbor. Sea kayak, trail run, bike, trek, navigate. Gosolo or join teams of two, three or four people. Info: www.sanjuanislandquest.com.

Mount Baker Club Hannegan Pass Hike: September 25, Bellingham. Outstanding views all theway. Moderate to hard hike, 2,000-foot elevation gain. Info: 360/647-9350.

Kootenay Krusher Bike Race: September 25, Invermere, B.C. Info: www.nipika.com.

Bellingham Bay Marathon, Half-Marathon and 5K: September 25, 7:30 a.m., Bellingham. Manyrunners have said this is "the most beautiful marathon in the Pacific Northwest." Info: www.belling-hambaymarathon.org.

Oyster Run: September 25, Anacortes. The largest motorcycle run of the Pacific Northwest is cele-brating 30 years. Info: www.oysterrun.org/index.html.

Word on the Street: September 25, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Library Square and CBC Plaza, Vancouver.Enjoy a full day of reading and writing events and activities! Word lovers will find author readings,writing and publishing exhibits, musical entertainment, roving performers, children’s activities, andmuch more.

Mount Baker Club Social: September 27, 6 p.m., Bellingham. Potluck dinner at Bloedel DonovanPark Beach Pavilion. Bring a dish to share, a place setting and a beverage. After-dinner speaker willbe local author Craig Romano. Romano’s new books are “Backpacking Washington” and “Day HikeColumbia River Gorge.” Info: 360/734-5726.

National Inside Ride Tour: September 28, Victoria. Info: www.nationalinsideridetour.com.

OOCCTTOOBBEERRBaker Lake 50K: October 1, 8 a.m., Belling-ham. A gorgeous run of 28 miles on trail, 3.5miles on gravel/paved road. Info: www.baker-lake50k.com, 360/387-3276.

Skagit Valley Festival of Family Farms:October 1-2 at 14 different farms around Sk-agit Valley. Educational exhibits, farm tours,harvest markets, free samples, kids' activities, corn and hay mazes, animal exhibits, pumpkinpatches, shopping, scenic tours and more. Info: www.festivaloffamilyfarms.com.

Whatcom Artist Studio Tour: October 1-2, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. A free event opening the creativespaces of Whatcom County's best artists. Info: www.studiotour.net.

Aglow: A Shimmering Evening for the Whatcom Museum: October 1, 5:30 p.m., Whatcom Mu-seum Lightcatcher Building, Bellingham. Gala dinner auction featuring fine wines and unique experi-ences. Info: 360/778-8939.

Run like a Girl Half Marathon: October 1, 9 a.m., Bellingham. Proceeds support Girls on the Run.Info: www.runlikeagirlbellingham.com.

Race for the End: October 2, 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Bloedel Donovan Park, Bellingham. Proceeds ben-efit survivors of domestic violence. Info: calendar.bellingham.org.

Race for Education: October 8, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Bellingham. 5k run/walk to raise funds for strug-gling local students. Info: www.whatcomraceforeducation.org.

Klicks Mountain Bike Duathalon: October 9, 11 a.m., Bellingham. Off-road duathalon for teams orindividuals on the trails of Lake Padden. Info: www.cob.org/races

Lake Padden Trail Classic 13.1 & Anna’s Lake Walk: October 22, 9 a.m. and 1 p.m., Bellingham.The half marathon is within forested trails on Lake Padden at 9 a.m. with Anna’s Walk following at 1p.m. Info: www.annabrulottememorial.com.

BIA Pumpkin Festival: October 22, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Marine Drive at West Beach on White RockBeach. Local residents and merchants compete to carve the most original Halloween pumpkin. Bringthe family for free farm fun with hay rides, pumpkin carving and live entertainment throughout theday. Info: 604/536-4958.

Vancouver Snow Show: October 29-30, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m, Vancouver Convention Center. Ski andsnowboard retailers and pros, mountain ski resorts, training associations and travel information ex-hibitors.

For events at higher elevations (over 4,000 feet), check with event organizers to make sure the trail is melted out and safe.

s The Mt. Baker Rhythm & Blues Festivalbrought together more than 2,000 musiclovers during the three-festival this summer.Amsterdam vocalist Ana Popovic (r) sings toa packed crowd. Popovic was one of morethan a dozen performers at the event. Nextyear will be the 17th annual Mt. BakerRhythm & Blues Festival. It will be heldAugust 3-5, 2012.

s Kyle Silves is log rolling while Jeremy George watches from the water during the log rolling com-petition at this year's Deming Logging Show. More than 9,000 people attended the show. The 2012Deming Log Show is set for June 9 and 10.

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GOT GAME?BY BRIAN MCCALL

For hunters inWesternWashington, the transition into fallmarks the beginning of the hunt-ing season and stirs a deep excite-ment for the comingmonths. Thethrill of stalking a mature bull elkthrough a dense stand of timber issomething that calls to a very pri-mal part of each sportsman.This experience transcends gen-

eration and gender gaps and canhelp both the seasoned hunter andthe young neophyte develop a senseof place and appreciation for theoutdoors that is difficult to emu-late through other pursuits. For-tunately for those of us who residein the PacificNorthwest, the diverseopportunities for pursuing gameanimals make it a very accessibleexperience.Typically,most hunters are taught

by older relatives and family mem-bers. For young hunters this can bea very formative stage in their livesand, given proper guidance, canhelp them appreciate and respectthe resources that are so dear to allof us. For those of us not affordedthat opportunity, the process is abit more interesting – as it was inmy case.My first hunting experience in

Washington began on theOlympicPeninsula pursuing Roosevelt elk.I had a colleague there, and the pic-tures of big bulls standing in hisyard convinced me that bringingone down would be an easy taskrequiring minimal effort.I had my first inkling of doubt

when I mentioned my destinationto a friend and got a skeptical “goodluck” in return. I chose to ignorehis comment and enlisted a friendto come along. We headed out to

Quinault and arbitrarily chose aspot to set up camp. From that pointonwe spent the better part of aweekbeing slapped around by trees andbushes bent on destroying our everyvestige of hope.We traipsed around the entire

area, climbing up and down everycliff we came across, and we didn’tsee a single thing.Wewere cold, wetand miserable. A coin toss couldhave decidedwhether we’d go homeand sell all the gearwe’d just boughtor whether we’d stick it out a whilelonger. And that’swhen it happened.A big cow elk stepped out about 80yards in front of us through theonly clear sight lane in all of thatdense forest.Misery was forgotten in the rush

of adrenaline and the feeling of pur-suing such a large animal. I remem-ber the thrill to this day. We didn’tmanage to get the cow as she wasout of range, but ending that tripunsuccessfully was one of themostrewarding outdoor experiences Ihave had, and it has shaped everyother encounter since then.

Next StepIf this tale of thwarted triumph

has spurred your interest in hunt-ing, there are a number of resourcesthat can help get you off to a bet-ter start than I had.The first step for all beginning

hunters is to take a hunter safetycourse, which will introduce you tobasic safety protocol and provideyou with a framework for the eth-ical issues that surround thehumaneharvest of a game animal. Thesecourses are available through theWashington Department of Fishand Wildlife (WDFW), and a full

Continued on page 26

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Statewide

1 15

1 15

This is a partial listing of hunting seasons in Washington state. It is not intended to provide anauthoritative guide to legal hunting in 2011. ALWAYS check local hunting regulations before you setout. For up-to-date information on hunting in Washington, visit wdfw.wa.gov/hunting. For currenthunting information and seasons in British Columbia, visit www.env.gov.bc.ca/fw.

2011 BIG GAME SEASONS

listing of class types and locations can be found on itswebsite (www.wdfw.wa.gov/hunting).Most classes fillup quickly, so it is wise to register in the spring if youplan on hunting in the fall. While this class is highlyrecommended for all hunters, it is a legal requirementfor every hunter born after 1971.

It’s almost too late to complete a class in time forearly season openers, but new hunters are in luck thisyear. The WDFW recently instituted a program thatallows a one-time deferral of the hunter safety educa-tion requirement with the provision that the hunteris accompanied by another experienced license hold-er at all times. Information on this deferral can befound online (www.wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/huntered/he_deferral.html) or by contacting your localWDFWoffice. The deferral requires a $20 application fee andtypically has a two-week turnaround time.

After you complete the hunter safety course, you’llbe eligible to purchase hunting licenses online or atyour local sporting goods store. This is also a goodtime to get a rules and seasons pamphlet and bone upon the laws governing the game animal you wish topursue. This includes ensuring that the areas you hunt,the times that youhunt, and the equipment andmethodyou employ to harvest an animal fall within the legalguidelines set by the WDFW. It is important to havea good understanding of these laws because both the

legal repercussions and the effect it can have onwildlifemanagement efforts can be profound.

Where to go?Once you’re confident in your ability to hunt safe-

ly and legally, you’re probably going to ask:Where doI go to hunt? This is, as they say, the big question.

Talk with local hunters and wildlife managementofficials. Solicit the advice of every friend and acquain-tance with a background in hunting. TheWDFWalsoprovides a GoHunt application on its website atwww.wdfw.wa.gov/mapping/gohunt that displays statistics for individ-ual hunting areas. This can be a great resource in yourresearch process, along with the Hunting Washing-ton website (www.hunting-washington.com), whichhas a very robust forum allowing you to interact withother hunters who are usually willing to help.

After you’ve done your homework, it’s time to headfor the field. There is really no better way to increaseyour likelihood of successful hunting than spendingtime in the woods before the season. Pre-season scout-ing will help you get familiar with the area you chooseto hunt, and it will prepare you physically for the rig-ors of being afield in the rugged terrain of the Pacif-ic Northwest.

For experienced hunters there is still more that wecan do to both further our sport and allow us to spendmore time afield. TheWDFWoffers aMaster HunterCertification that emphasizes creatingmore informedand conscientious hunters who understand the impor-tance of wildlifemanagement and are able to promoteethical pursuit of game animals to both landownersand non-hunters alike. This program requires exten-sive training and certification that is outlined onlineat www.wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/masterhunter.X

BrianMcCall is an avid outdoorsman and spends asmuchtime as possible exploring the range of opportunities avail-able in the Pacific Northwest. When he is not doing that, hecan be found tinkering on one of his ill-conceived projects orplanning another adventure.

Continued from page 25

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Mt. Baker Highway Mile PostsMile 1: Junction of I-5 and Mt. Baker Hwy., SunsetDrive.Mile 3: View of Coast Mountain Range in Canada (left).Mile 8: Whatcom County Parks & Recreation Dept. (Right).The headquarters offers a rest area with picnic tables, rest-rooms and a view of Mt. Baker, elevation 10,778 feet. 360/733-2900.Mile 9: Deming Logging Show – second weekend in June.Two-day show: log rolling, tree climbing and axe throwing.Nooksack River Bridge – great fishing spots can be found.Mile 10: Community of Nugent's Corner. Groceries, gas, bank(ATM), bakery, cafe, crafts and other services.Mile 11: U-pick berry farms (right and left). Strawberries inJune, raspberries in July and blueberries in August.Christmas tree farms (right and left).Mount Baker Vineyards (left). Tasting room/gift shop openWednesday through Sunday. Grape Stomp Festival in Sep-tember.Mile 12: Community of Deming.Stewart Mountain – elev. 3,087 feet (right).Sumas Mountain – elev. 3,430 feet (left).Mile 14: Highway 9 South Junction (right). South to Van Zandt,Acme, Wickersham and Skagit Valley. Attractions: B&B, gen-eral store, mushroom farm and train ride.Nooksack River Forks (right). Nooksack River forks into threesegments: the North Fork, whichMt. Baker Highway parallels;the Middle Fork, which heads southeast to the southern faceof Mt. Baker; and the South Fork, which heads south into theSkagit Valley. Hwy. 9 follows the South Fork.

Mile 16: Mosquito Lake Road – Bald Eagle viewing spot (right).Dec. – Feb. Turn right onto Mosquito Lake Road, drive to thefirst bridge that crosses the North Fork Nooksack. Park on leftshoulder of Mosquito Lake Road. Look for eagles.Mile 18: Community of Welcome (left). Grocery store, fire sta-tion, senior center and other services.Mile 21: Kendall Creek Hatchery (right). Turn right onto FishHatchery Road. The hatchery raises chinook, coho and chumsalmon as well as steelhead, rainbow and cutthroat trout.Mile 22: Slide Mountain – elevation 4,884 feet (right). Namedfor a landslide on its north face that may have dammed up theNooksack River in ancient times.Highway 547 North Junction/Kendall Road (left). North toKendall, Peaceful Valley, Paradise Lakes, Columbia and Sumas.Gas, groceries, golf, tavern.Mile 23: Community of Kendall. Grocery store and gas (left).Mile 25: Community of Maple Falls, post office, pay phones,cabin rentals, lodging, restaurants, gas, groceries, liquor,library.Silver Lake Park, Silver Lake Road, 3.5 miles north (left). Parksits on 411 acres around Silver Lake.Mile 27: Farm stand (right). Fresh produce, gourmet foodstuffs.Mile 29: View of Nooksack River (right). Highway ascends aledge overlooking the North Fork of the Nooksack River.Mile 30: Mt. Baker Scenic Turnout (right).Mile 33: Glacier – elev. 932 feet. Last community along thehighway. Fire department, post office, library, general store,restaurants, snowboard shop, lodging, phones.Mile 34: Glacier Public Service Center (right). Open Memori-

al Day to October. Rangers assist with hikes and camp plan-ning, and issues permits. Restrooms, picnic area. 360/599-2714,www.fs.fed.us/r6/mbs.Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest Boundary National For-est Scenic Byway. Glacier Creek Road (Rd. #39) to Mt. BakerVista (right). Mostly paved, 9.5 mile road leads to Mt. Bakerview.Mile 36: Douglas Fir Campground (left). National forest campbuilt by the CCC in the 1930s. Fees charged. Reservationsaccepted: 877/444-6777 or at www.recreation.gov.Horseshoe Bend Trail (right). Access for guided river raftingtours.Washington State Sno-Park (left). Permit required for snowmobiling or cross-country skiing.Mile 37: Church Mountain – elevation 6,245 feet (left). Highelevation trails on the southern slope are often the first in thearea to open for summer hiking.Turnouts to view North Fork Nooksack River (right).Mile 40: Excelsior Group Camp (right). National Forest Camp-ground. No water. Fee charged. Reservations only: 877/444-6777 or at www.recreation.gov.Nooksack Falls, Wells Creek Road Road #33 (right). TakeWellsCreek Road a half mile down to parking area and fenced view-point. Fall plummets 100 feet.Mile 41: Excelsior Pass Trail (left).Mile 43: North Fork Nooksack Research Natural Area (left).Established in 1937, this is a 1,400-acre preserve of old-growthDouglas Fir, Hemlock and Western Red Cedar.Mile 44: Nooksack River Viewpoint (right).

Mile 46: Twin Lakes Road (Road #3065) at Shuksan HighwayMaintenance Sheds (left). Twin Lakes is not accessible untilearly to mid-August.Hannegan Pass Road (Road #32) (left). Popular cross-countryskiing area in winter.Shuksan Picnic Area – Hannegan Pass Road (left). Tables,restroom, Nooksack River views. Mining cabin nearby.Silver Fir Campground (right). Fees charged. Reservationsaccepted: 877/444-6777 or at www.recreation.gov.Mile 47: Goat Mountain – elevation 6,891 feet. (N.E.). Summergrazing range for one of four bands of mountain goats.Mile 49: ViewMt. Shuksan – elevation 9,038 feet. (East).Mile 50: ViewMt. Sefrit – elevation 6,015 feet. (Southeast).Mile 52: Mt. Baker Ski area White Salmon Day Lodge (left).Mile 53: Entrance to Heather Meadows.Mile 55: Picture Lake (road forks – stay to the right). PictureLake – elevation 4,100 feet, provides a postcard view of Mt.Shuksan – elev. 9,038 feet. Vista picnic area (right). Picnic area;no restrooms.Mile 56: Austin Pass Picnic Area (right). CCC-built area sits ina bowl-shaped valley with glorious views.HeatherMeadows Visitor Center (right). Open mid-July to Sep-tember.Mile 58: Artist Point – elev. 5,140 feet. (End of highway). Park-ing lot surrounded by Mt. Baker’s peak (south), Mt. Shuksan(east) and Table Mountain – elev. 5,628 feet.

Map Directory 66 IILL CCAAFFFFEE RRIIFFUUGGIIOO5415 Mt. Baker Hwy, Deming • 592-2888

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33 EEVVEERRYYBBOODDYY’’SS SSTTOORREEHwy 9, Van Zandt • 592-2297

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